Safety cranking device for explosive-engines.



J. L. BECK. SAFETY ORANKING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 20, 1911.

I 1,027,799; "PatentedMay28, l9l2l.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES- INVENTOIQ,

A TTORNEY.

J.L. GK. SAFETY GRANKING DBVIOE'FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

- APPLICATION 1 1L319 111111.20, 1911. v v

Patented May 28, 1912: 3

2 sums-sum 2. r

A TTORNEY.

Wrap s'rarns PATENT carton.

JOHN L. BECK, F SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTO SAFETY CRANK COMPANY, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CHUSETTS.

SAFETY CRANKING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENG-INES.

mamas.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN L. Brick, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Springfield, in the county .of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Safety Cranking Devices for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in safety cranking devices for explosive en gines of a kind having for its object the pre venting of any possible injury to a person while cranking up by reason of-a back kick which might ensue when the engine shaft from any cause acquires a forcible'reversed rotation;

The aim of the present invention is to provide a safety crank which while entirelyreliable and effective under all conditions is extremely simple by reason of comprising only comparatively few parts and is, moreover, comparatively inexpensive of production because of the facility and practicabih ity of construction Another object is .to increase the safeguarding characteristics by the provision of meanswhereby in case the "engine shaft starts running forwardly and the starting or cranking shaft fails to be thrown-out of clutch with the engine shaft as is usually expected, the crank while being held by the hand cannot be thrown around forwardly to do violence to the person who may be operating it.

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and is set forth in the claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side ele-- vation of the safety crank as combined for use relatively to an engine shaft and to a part of a structure :in conjunction with which the engine shaft is employed. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View centrally through the cranking device, wit-h the )arts thereof outof clutch.- Fig. 3 is a pan view of the mechanism of the cranking d'evice'with the parts thereof shown'as in clutch,-the inclos- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 20, 1911.

Patented May 28,1912. Serial No. 615,676.

ing crank hub. and certain other represented 111 sectional view. and

parts being 7 are cross sectional views as taken respectivelv on the sect-ion lines 4-l. 5-5.

6-6, and 7-7, of Fig. rection of the arrows. Fig. 8 1s a perspective vlew showing all of the components of the device in separated relation. i

The cranking device forming the subject of this case is of the same general type as those shown in my co-pending applications, Serial Numbers- 590,687 and 610,483, filed, respectively, November 4, 1910, and February 24. 1911.

In the drawings, A represents in Fig. 1 a small portion of the engine shaft having the ratchet toothed clutch member A thereon, as usual; and B represents the cranking or starting shaft having atthe rear end 2 looking in the di thereof the clutch member B to be thrown.

by actual movement against its spring B into engagement with the clutch member A so that by the turning of the crank C in the usual forward direction, the engine sha ft will be rotated for the starting of the engine. The cranking shaft B has affixed on its forward end the flange like clutch member D provided with 'rearwardly facing teeth a; and E represents a companion clutch member which is rotatively free and axially movable within comparatively slight limits on the cranking shaft, and in proximity to the shaft carried clutch, member'E; and the clutch member E has forwardly facing clutch teeth b for engagement with the teeth a.

F represents a sleeve like member frictional'ly engaged with the cranking shaft by means of the split tapered shell (Z which encircles the shaft constri-ctively and has a disposition for the-greater portion of its length within the flaring orifice of the passage through the sleeve. The sleeve, moreover, has at its f rward end an out wardly projecting flan e e aiid has on its forward end face a plurality of cam surfaces, one of which is shown at f in Fig. 3, While these cam surfaces are also represented Figs. l, 6

' the device in which are fitted slidable pins in Figs. 2 and 8. The sleeve is also at its rear end portion'provided with peripheral.

teeth g,such toothed portion being encircled by a collar G which has on an armlike extension h' thereof a rigid dowel like part k which is engaged slidably through a bracket h mounted on or provided as a fixture ofthe body of the automobile or frame of "the machine comprising the engine. r 'represent'p'a'wls mounted in the encircling collar and engaging the teeth g of 7 the sleeve which, as before stated is frictionally' engaged upon the cranking shaft so that in case'of any backward rotation of the cranking shaft tending to produce a.

' 'Iback kick, the pawls prevent the sleeve from being carried around in a rearward dire'c:

' tion with the shaft The specific form of the spring pressed pawl a" and of the teeth 1 here shown are approved" ones found a vantageousand satisfactory in actualase; but other pawl and ratchet devices of spe; .c'ifically different character could be employed; I 7 v J represents the hollow cylindrical hub of the crank C, the same opening rear wardly and having 'a .front end closing wall 7'. This hub-when combined with the other parts of the mechanism incloses the clutch members D and E and a' considerable portion of the sleeve F, as well also as an annular,member L which is carried therewithin v. and as anappurtenance thereof. -The said as an internal flange of the hub; it is annular member may be regarded in a sense freely rotativebut axially non-movable relatively .to the shaft,'and has its location between the forward end of'the sleeve and the that the movable annular clutch member E movable clutchmember E. It is to be noted "has at its rear face the shoulders k with separating spaces 70 between them; and the annular member L has forwardly protruding shoulders'm with separating spaces m between them. so that there is an interlocked lost motion giving engagement between the n are interposed between the shoulder in- 5.5.

terlocking portions, tending to force the movable clutch member E slightly rotativelyforwardly relatively to the annular crank driven element L.

The'annular member L has holes 0 therethrough on lines parallel with the axis of oi dogs p which protrude rearwardly for engagement with the cams f on'the forward 7. end of the sleeve F and have their forward ends in engagement with the rear face. of the movable clutch member E.

The annular member L instead of bein rigidly secured within the hub of the crank as it might be for good action-generally, is engaged with the crank hub by means of the pawls Q which engage with the peripheral teeth 1' of the'part L,-the formsand arrangements of these coacting parts or features being such that when the crank is, turned in the proper forwarddirection, as indicated by the arrow-a3, Fig. 5, the element I. will pull as one with it; but on relatively reversed forces being applied,-th'at is if from any cause the annular member L should acquire rotation in the direction of the arrow faster than that imparted in suchdirection manually 'bythecrank, the pa'wls would recede and permit'the part L to click around in thexcrank rhub. This last described provision is one tg safeguard against harm to a person in case the crank shaft fails to be engine shaft when the latter shaft starts running forwardly as usually transpires.

- collar G, and another ring nut t has a screw engagement with the cyl ndrical crank hub and engages" the rear face of the flange of the sleeve, and an inspectioniof Fig- 2 will indicate without'the necessity of, fur-ther extended description the'manner in'which all automatically thrown out of clutch with the of the parts areheld together andpmainv tained in their proper operative relationsf it being, however, mentioned tliat the specing sleeve u which encircles the cranking shaft is interposed and engages its opposite end the annular elementL-and the shaft carried clutch member Dlf', s i v The spiral spring is interposed in an. encircling relation tothe s cing-sleeve and in compression between; he shaft-:fafiixed clutch rrnember D and the-movable clutch m ember E withthe effect of exerting a force rearwardly' on the movable clutch member;-

and, serving as a means for the increased reliability and certainty 'of'action of the device when the emergency calls for the same. I 1 0 I Respecting the operatmni-Assunnng the parts of the crank arein their disengaged position as represented in Fig-[2,; and the dogs or thrust pins p have o'sitions to the right with their extremities In the most depressed portions of the cams f, incranking the engine the crank is turned in a forward direction with the effect of carrying the annular member around with it, and as'such annular member can have no axial motion, its pins 79 will be necessarily slid'forwardor to the left with the efiect of exerting a thrust against the axially vmovable clutch member E for throwing itinto clutch with shaft carried clutch member D; and if the teeth of the two clutch members should be brought into point to pointrelation, the clutch member whichhas a degree of spring retracted lost motion revolubly' relatively to the annular member, will readily find its bottoming into the other clutch member, the annular member L being, as before stated to all intents and purposes in the cranking forward a fixed .part of the crank, and being interlocked with the movable. clutch member E which is thrown into interlock.

with the fixed clutch member D, the cranking shaft and all the parts combined therewith except the collar G turn in unison with no different effect than if the crank was the same as the ordinary simple fixed crank on a cranking shaft. whereby the cranking shaft would be driven reversely,-the pawls 2' hold the sleeve member from having any rotation, and the fixed clutch member D turning with the back kicking shaft/lids a DIOXGITIQHl' relatively to the annular member and movable clutch member which are held against turning by reason of the hand grasp on the crank handle so that any "tendency which the shaft carried clutch member D'has to carry the movable clutch member E and crank carried annular mem-.

ber L around with it in the reversed direction is effective to slightly rotate the movabie clutch member, but yet in a sufiicient extent to allow the'dogs to come opposite the depressed surfaces of the cams formed on the end of the sleeve, and at this time,

owing to the'shape of the clutch teeth, and further because of the reaction of the spiral spring, the two, members of the clutch are thrown out of engagement, leaving the crank and its hub, the annular member and the movable clutch member therewithin to be retained by the hand grasp as parts re'la tively to which the cranking shaft and its clutch have no connection.

I claim 1. In combination, a cranking shaft having a clutch member fixed thereon, a companion clutch member rotatively free and also axially movable-on the shaft, a sleeve frictionally engaged with the shaft for rotation with the same in one direction, said sleeve having .cam surfaces thereon, means for holding the sleeve against reversed rotative movement, an annular member freely operable by end thrust against the said movable clutch memberto ,forceit into engagement with the fixed clutch member In case of a back kick.

when said annular member is forwardly rotated, and means for rotating the said annular member.

2. In combination, a cranking shaft having a clutch member fixed on its forward end, a. companion clutch member rotatively .free and also axially movable on the shaft crank having a hollowhub carrying there-- within an annular member which is freely rotative on said shaft but axially non-movable, said annular member being located between the sleeve and the'axially movable clutch member and having forwardly'projecting shoulders arranged for a lost motion interlocking relation to the shoulders on said clutch member, and having dogs arranged for impingement on said cam surfaces and operable by end thrust against the said movable clutch member to force it into engagement with the fixed clutch member under a forward rotation of the crank.

3. In combination, a cranking shaft havinga clutch member affixed thereon, a companion clutch member rotatively free and also axially movable on the shaft, a sleeve frictionally engaged with the shaft for rotation therewith in one direction, said sleeve having cam surf-aces on its end, means for holding the sleeve against reversed rotative movement, a crank having a hub carrying therewlthin an annular member freely rotative but axially non-movable relatively to the shaft and located between the sleeve and the axially movable clutch member, said annular member having a lost motion inter- .locking relation to the latter and having dogs arranged for impingement on said cam surfaces. and operable by end thrust against the said movable clutch member to force it into clutch under a forward rotation of the crank, andia spring exerting anaxially rearward ,pressure upon the movable clutch member.

4. In combination, a cranking shaft. having a clutch member affixed thereon, a companion clutch member rotatively free and also axially movable on the shaft and having at its rear face shoulders with separating spacesjbetween them, a sleeve frictionally engaged Rvi th the shaft for rotation therewith in one direction, said sleeve havingcam surfaces on its forward end, means for holding the sleeve against reversed rota tive movement relatively to the shaft, a-

crank provided with a hollow hub having therein an annular member freely rotative but axially non-movable relatively to the shaft and located between thesleet e and the axially movable clutch member and having forwardly protruding shoulders with separating spaces, the spaces between the shoulders on one member being greater than the widths of the shoulders on the adjacent member, springs interposed between the inteeth, a sleeve member frictionally engaged with the shaft for rotation therewith in one direction, said sleeve having cam surfaces on its forward end provided, peripherally, with teeth, a collar held against rotative move-- ment encircling the sleeve and having pawls in engagement with the teeth of the latter, a crank having a hub carrying therewithin an annular member freely rotative-but axially non-movable relatively to the shaft and located between the sleeve and the movable clutch member, said annular member having an interlocking lost motion relation to such clutch member and carrying axially slidable pins arranged for coaction, between the sleeve cams and the movable clutch member, and a spring for forcing the movable clutch member away from the fixed clutch member.

6. In combination, a cranking shaft having a flange like member fixed on its forward end and provided with rearwardly facing clutch teeth, a companion clutch,

member rotatively free and also axially .movable on the shaft and having forwardly facing clutch teeth, a sleeve member frictionally engaged with the shaft for rotation therewith in one direction, said sleeve having cam surfaces on its forward end and provided,-peripherally, with teeth, a collar held against rotative movement encircling the sleeve and having pawls in engagement with the teeth of the latter, a crank having a hub carrying therewithin an annular member freely rotative but axially non-movable relatively to the shaft and located between the sleeve and the movable clutch member, said annular member having an interlocking lost motion relation toisuch clutch member and carrying axially slidable pins arranged for coaction between the sleeve cams and the movable clutch member, and interengaging teeth and pawls provided upon sa1d annular member and crank hub whereby the forward turning movement of the crank hub will cause said annular member to turn therewith in the same direction, and whereby when a forward movement is imparted to the annular member independently of the crank hub, said annular member will be permitted to turn free of said hub.

7. In combination, an engine shaft and a cranking shaft having coacting clutch memhers, the cranking shaft having a movement endwise relatively to the'engine shaft, a spring for forwardly forcing the cranking shaft, aclutch member fixed on the forward end of the crankin shaft, a companion clutch member rotatlvely free and axially movable on the cranking shaft, a sleeve frica tionally engaged with the cranking shaft for rotation therewith in one direction, said sleeve having cam surfaces on its forward end and having peripheral teeth, a collar encircling the toothed portion of the sleeve provided ,with pawls and having a dowel extension, a fixed part with which the dowel extension has a sliding engagement, a crank having a hub carrying therewithin an annular member freely rotative but axially nonmovable relatively to the shaft and located between the sleeve and the movable clutch member, said annular member having an interlocking and lost motion relation to the latter and having pins slidable relatively thereto and arranged for coaction between the cam surfaced end of thesleeve and the movable clutch member, and a spring for forcing thev movable clutch member from the fixed clutch member.

8. In combination, a cranking shaft, a

away

clutch member fixed on the forward end thereof, a companion clutch member rota- .v

tively free and axially movable on the cranking shaft, a sleeve frictionally engaged with the cranking shaft having cam surfaces and an outwardly extending flange at its forward end and having peripheral teeth, a non-rotative collar encircling the toot-hedportion of the sleeve provided with pawls, a ring nut'screwing on the rear extremity of the sleeve next tothe collar,'a crank hav ing ahollow hub carrying therewithin an annular member which is freely .rotative but axially non-movable relatively to the shaft and is located between the sleeve and the movable clutch member,"said annular member having an interlockingand lost motiongiving relation to the latter and having pins slidable relatively thereto and arranged for coaction betWe'en't-he cam surfaced end of\ the sleeve and thejmovable clutch member, a spring for forcing the movable clutch member away from the fixed clutch member, and a ring nut screwed on the crank'hu'b next to the rear face of the flange of the sleeve,

9. A cranking shaft having fixed and movable clutch members mounted 'upon its forward portion, a sleeve frictionally engaged with the shaft rearwardly'of said clutch members, a one-way ratchet clutch coaeting with the sleeve'fdr preventingbacle Ward rotation thereof, an jennularr body incasing said fixedand'rnovable clutch members, and means carried fvvithin said body between said sleeve and said movable clutch is turned forwardly, and to cause said movv able clutch member to disengage said fixed 10 clutch member upon a reversed movement of said shaft relative to said body.

Signed by me at Springfield, Mass, in presence of two subscribing Witnesses JOHN L. BECK. Witnesses:

G. R. Dnrsco'nn, 'W. S. Bnuiows.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

' Washingtdn, D. UR" 

